News and advertising exhibiting



Dec. 15, 1936.-

c. w BRENN' NEWS AND ADVERTISING EXHIBITING Filed April 15 Patented ee. 15, 1936 ews AND ADVERTISING EXHIBITING Carl W. Brenn, MontclainN. J. Application April 15, 1935, Serial No. 16,424

12 Claims.

continuous web or strip of paper having alter nate advertisement and writing zones thereon, the advertisement being previously printed on the strip and thewriting zone being usually left blank.

In my copending application, Serial No. 4,224, filed January 31, 1935, there is disclosed the'idea of providing the advertisement displays on an 15 endless band, and superposed'with the latter there were provided a Writing strip so arranged that a display zone on the display band alternates with a writing zone on the writing strip.

There are many difficulties attendant upon the production of the printed writing strip first above referred to and the use thereof, and the manipulation of the machine employing the same.

An object of this inventionis to obviate these diihculties, to facilitate the operation of the machine, and to make the production of the writing strip and display band more economical.

This object is realized, in the broader aspects of my present invention, by placing the display band, or other display device and writing strip in non-superimposed relation, so that the display on the display device may be exhibited simultaneously with the writing of the news item.

By so arranging the display device and the Writing strip, the latter is always in position to be written upon without interference from the display device; the display band is never in position to receive type impressions; the writing zone for each news item is not limited to a predetermined length of the strip; and long or short news items may directly follow each other indiscriminately and without wasting any space between them on the writing strip.

When, as is customary, several writing and exhibiting machines are connected to be operated from a remote point simultaneously, with the proposals first above referred to, it was important that all of the receiving machines be synchronized with each other and with the sending machine, so that writing would not be performed on the display area of the display device. However, with the present invention, it is not necessary that any synchronism be maintained so far as the positions of the display device and while in exhibiting position.

writing strips are concerned in the various receiving machines or the sending machine, for, as stated above, according to the present invention, the display device is never in position to be written upon by the typing mechanism, and 5 the writing strip is always. in position to be written upon and all portions of it may be written upon.

In the specific form of this invention herein disclosed, this is accomplished by providing the 0 display device above the platen of the typewriter so that the displays th reon are" in substantially the same plane when being exhibited as the portion of the writing strip on which news items have been written. Hence,, both the news item and the display may be picked up and re-. flected on the same screen and by the same lenses and mirrors.

The display device may be in the form of an endless belt carrying a succession of. advertisements, or in any suitable form of changeable exhibitor having the several displays thereon always located in substantially the same plane The display device may be operated so as to cause the displays to be continuously moved to and from the exhibiting position, but, preferably, it is moved intermittently, allowing each display to remain in view without appreciable movement until the next display or a series is to 30 be shown.

Again, the display device may be driven or actuated in any suitable manner, but, preferably, it is operated by some part of the typewriting machine. When, as illustrated herein, it is operated by the feed mechanism. for the Writing strip, if several machines of a chain are operated in coordination and in synchronism, matter pertaining to the product advertised on the display may be typewritten on the writing strip 40 just before or just after a display is moved into exhibiting position, thereby calling specific attention to the advertisement shown on the display device.

Accordingly, with the present invention, direct advertising, in the form of printed displays, may be used, and, in conjunction therewith, advertising, in the formcf reading matter contemporaneously written, may be used to augment the display form of advertising. 50

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing, which shows two forms of the present invention Figure 1 is a schematic view showing the ex- 55 hibiting machine with the display device being in the form of an endless belt.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing the writing strip and display strip in exhibiting position.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing a conventional form of changeable exhibitor mounted above the platen of the typewriting machine.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the writing strip and changeable exhibitor shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing a modified form of the invention disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of a modification of the display band shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

As above stated, the machine of the present invention is intended to exhibit on a screen IQ, for public view, advertising displays and news items which are written on a telegraphic typewriter operated from a remote pintthere being usually a number of machines located at different places, all operated by the same sending machine, and the news items being usually current up-to-the-minute news.

The typing mechanism of the machine may be that of the well-known teletype telegraphic typewriter, and has a platen II on which paper strips 2 supplied from a pack l3 are supported to receive impressions from type bars M. The paper is preferably, but not essentially, fed positively by the platen by means of pins carried on the platen engaging feeding apertures l6 on the writing strip l2.

The writing strip is supported substantially vertically on a table I! where it is in position to be exhibited.

According to the present invention, and referring particularly to the embodiment thereof shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the writing strip I2, after passing over the table I1, is guided rearwardly and upwardly by a roller Hi to some place where it may be stored until removed, there being provided a roller IS, in the form of the invention herein disclosed, over which the strip passes downwardly to some out-of-the-way position.

The matter written on the portion of the writing strip |2 supported by the table I! is illuminated by a suitable lamp 20 and is reflected in a mirror 2| from which it passes through a suitable system of lenses 22 to be reflected on a mirror 23 and from the latter onto the screen I0.

Instead of having the display band and writing strip superimposed, as in my copending application Serial No. 4,224, filed January 31, 1935, or disposed laterally, as in my application Serial No. 9,620, filed March 6, 1935, in the form of the invention herein illustrated, the display devise is located above the platen II of the typewriting machine.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, the display device comprises an endless belt 24 having printed thereon, or suitably fastened thereto, advertising displays 25 adapted to be brought one after another into position to be exhibited. For this purpose, the display band is provided with a feeding drum 26 and a guide roller 21 so placed that the portion of the display band stretched between the feeding drum. 26 and the guide roller 21 is located in a vertical plane and substantially in the same plane in which the portion of the writing strip l2 overlying the plate I! is located. The mirror 2| and the lens system 22 is such that they pick up and transfer the portion of the writing strip |2 from the writing line of the platen to approximately the roller l8 and the portion of the display band from the guide roller 27 to the feeding drum 26, and exhibit these portions of the writing strip and display band together on the screen II). By having the display band located in substantially the same vertical plane as the writing strip, only one system of lenses and mirrors need be employed, and both the advertisements and the news items may be shown on the same screen.

The display band 24 may be as long as desired or convenient, and it is kept substantially taut by a guide roller 28 at the rear. The stretch 29 of the display band advances downwardly and forwardly substantially parallel to the stretch 3|] of the writing strip which advances forwardly and upwardly and to storage position.

Suitable shields 3| and 32 may be provided to block out from view the space between the adjacent portions of the writing strip l2 and the display band 24 to cut off from view the portion of the display band above the display 25 which is in exhibiting position.

The direction of travel of the display band 24 may conveniently be in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. l, but, if desired, the display band may be advanced in the opposite direction, for instance, as shown in Fig. 5.

The display band 24 may be advanced lineby-line as the typewriting of the writing strip |2 progresses, but in this situation there would be very little time when all of the display remained in view.

It is preferable, therefore, to allow the display 24 to remain in view for a predetermined length of time, and then advance it to bring the next display into view.

As shown in Fig. 1, this is accomplished by providing the drum 26 with a ratchet wheel 33 and providing a pawl arm 34 with a pawl 35 engaging the ratchet wheel 33. This pawl arm 34 is provided with a rod 36 guided by a bracket 31 and having at its lower end a roller 38 resting on a cam 39 on the platen H or the shaft therefor. As the platen rotates, the cam 39 pushes the rod -36 upwardly and causes the pawl to click over the ratchet wheel 33. When a predetermined point in the revolution of the platen is reached, however, the roller 38 escapes from the high point of the cam 39 to the low point and the rod 36 is then pulled down by a spring 40 so that through the ratchet 35 and ratchet wheel 33 the feed drum 26 for the display band is rotated, and the display band is advanced an extent sufiicient to bring the next display thereon into vertical or display position.

In this way, the display is allowed to remain stationary for the greater part of the time, and when it is moved, moves rather rapidly to bring the next display into exhibiting position.

The roller 9 is provided with a pressure roller 4| and it is frictionally driven by a belt 42 extending to a pulley on the platen H or the shaft thereof, and the belt is designed to slip when a predetermined tension is applied to the writing strip l2. The function of the feed roller [9, pressure roller ll, and belt 42 is to maintain the written portion of the writing strip l2, which lies on the table taut and flat, and to carry the stretch 30 of the writing strip upwardly and out of the way.

Referring now to the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3, the writing strip |2 is fed from the pile |3 around the platen upwardly over the table I! and guide roller l8, and then upwardly and rearwardly between the feed roller 99 and the pressure roller ii,- which are driven by the belt 32, the same as in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3, however, instead of having the displays 25 located on a continuous belt, they are carried in a suitable and conventional form of changeable exhibitor 43, the type shown having cards t l which are released, one after another, and the back of one card and the front of the other together constituting the display 25a.

The changeable exhibitor 33 is so located that the cards 44 being displayed are located in substantially the same vertical plane as the portion of the writing strip supported on the table H, and hence the matter shown on the display cards is picked up and reflected on the same screen by the same system of lenses and mirrors.

By mechanism provided in the changeable exhibitor 43, the cards M are released one after another, and to drive this mechanism there is provided a belt 35 passing around the platen H, or a pulley on the shaft thereof, and around a pulley 66 on the changeable exhibitor. With this form of the invention also, the displays remain in view without appreciable movement until they suddenly move and cause a new display to be exhibited.

Of course, in the broader aspects of this invention, the display band EQ and the changeable exhibitor 53 may be operated in any suitable manner, but, by having it operated by the platen of the typewriter, the frequency with which the successive advertisements appear will have a definite relation to the quantity of the writing strip fed through the machine.

The display band 24 may be advanced positively, and for this purpose the feeding drum 26 may have feeding pins 6"! engaging feeding apertures 43 in the display band.

If it is desired to move the display band stepby-step, this may be conveniently done as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 5, in which both the display band 24 and the writing strip [2 pass between grip rollers 49 to be advanced together.

Hence, when the platen H is rotated and the writing strip moves line-by-line and the feed roller [9 and pressure roller 4| are rotated by the belt 42, the grip rollers 49 will be rotated and the display band and writing strip will be fed so that the adjacent stretches 29 and 30 will travel upwardly and rearwardly, the display band as being in fact advanced through the medium of the writing strip.

With the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, if it is desired to have the display remain stationary for the purpose of being viewed by the observers, it is merely necessary to refrain from operating the machine for a predetermined length of time, and on tlus band 24 display zones 25 may alternate with blank zones 5! as shown in Fig. 6, in which case the advertisement would be moved step-by-step into position to be viewed as a news item of a predetermined length was being typed, and then the news item and the display would be allowed to remain there for observation.

On the other hand, the display band 24a and the writing strip [2 could be so started out that, at the completion of the writing of the news item, the blank space 58 would be located in exhibiting position, and then the typewriter platen H could be line-spaced step-by-step by mechanism provided therefor in teletype machines (not shown herein) without typewriting until the display portion 25 appeared, and this could be allowed to remain in view for a predetermined length of time before typewriting the next news item.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. In an exhibiting writing machine, the combination of a display device having a series of displays; means for causing the latter to; be exhibited seriatim; a writing strip on which news items or the like are written to be exhibited; type for writing on said writing strips; separate means for supporting the display device and the writing strip in position to be exhibited, one above the other, with the display in exhibiting position in substantally the same vertical plane as the portion of the writing strip in exhibiting position; and means for advancing the writing strips line by line over its said support as writing is typed on the writing strip.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which the contiguous portions of thedisplay and writing strip-are closely adjacent so that the display and writing'strip appear as one.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which the contiguous portions of the display and writing strip are closely adjacent so that the display and writing strip appear as one, and a narrow shield is provided to cover thespace between said contiguous portions.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which the display device includes an endless band carrying the displays.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which i the display device includes a changeable exhibitor having a plurality of display cards.

6. In an exhibiting writing machine, the combination of a display device having a series of displays to be exhibited seriatim; a writing strip on which news items, or the like are written to be exhibited; separate means for supporting the display device and the writing strip in position to be exhibited, one above the other, withthe display in exhibiting position in substantiallythe same vertical plane as the portion of the writing strip in exhibiting'position; means for advancing the writing strip including ,a platen, the display device including a changeable exhibitor having a plurality of display cards; and means operatively connecting the platen to the ated by the former to cause one after another of the display cards to be brought to exhibiting position. v

7. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which the display device includes an endless band carrying the displays, and in which there is means for causing the band to be advanced according to a predetermined plan.

8. In an exhibiting writing machine, the combination of a display device having a series of displays to be exhibited seriatim; a writing strip on which news items or the like are written to be exhibited; separate means for supporting the display device and the writing strip in position to be exhibited, one above the other, with the display in exhibiting position in substantially the same vertical plane as the portion of the writing strip in exhibiitng position; means for advancing the writing strip line-by-line as a news item is being written, the display device including an endless band carrying the displays; and means I changeable exhibitor, whereby the latter is operfor causing the display band to be advanced step-by-step at intervals equal to the height of the displays thereon.

9. In an exhibiting writing machine, the combination of a display device having a series of displays to be exhibited seriatim; a writing strip on which news items or the like are written to be exhibited; separate meansfor supporting the display device and the writing strip in position to be exhibited, one above the other, with the display in exhibiting position insubstantially the same vertical plane as the portion of the writing strip in exhibiting position; means for advancing the writing strip line-by-line as a news item is being written, the display device including an endless band carrying the displays; and means for causing the display band to be advanced step-by-step at intervals equal to the height of the displays thereon, said last-named means operating at predetermined points in the advancement of the writing strip.

10. The invention as defined in claim 1, in 5 which the means for advancing the displays td exhibiting position is intermittently operated.

11. The invention as defined in claim 1, in

which the means for advancing the displays to exhibiting position is intermittently operated by 10 the means for advancing the writing strip.

12. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which the displays are moved one after another into exhibiting position through the medium of the writing strip. 15

CARL W. BRENN. 

